Just thought I’d provide some feedback and a further recommendation for Ed at Divine Detail (based in Surrey) who has done a wonderful job on my GL63 recently.
This is his website:
http://www.divinedetail.co.uk
I bought my GL last summer, and the condition of the car was very good - low mileage, one owner, garaged when not in use etc. I’ve been washing it carefully and kept on top of the interior but during the lockdown I started to consider the next step for enhancing the finish of the exterior and protection of the paintwork for the future.
I have always enjoyed looking after my cars, and have done plenty of detailing in my time. A few weeks back I gave it a thorough wash and started to decontaminate the paintwork. I have used various waxes over the years, and whilst they have worked well for my garaged/weekend cars on a daily driver/family car the size of the GL I wanted something that would be more durable, protect the paintwork and make the car easier to keep clean so started looking into some of the ceramic coatings on offer - especially considering how long the preparation work would take on a vehicle of this size. After giving it some thought, I decided I just don’t have the time/space currently for this so started to look into options to get the paintwork A1 and a coating applied professionally.
I have read recommendations myself for Ed on the forum here and have been recommended him in person, so despite having always enjoyed detailing my own cars, a few weeks ago I decided to give him a call and discuss my car and requirements.
Straight away, from speaking on the phone, I liked the guy. He knows his stuff, was very realistic with tailoring a package to my needs, agreed on a very fair price for the job and gave me an indication as to when he could book me in for.
After a couple of emails a date for the work was set, and a few weeks later I took the car over to Ed. A very down to earth guy, quiet and well mannered, perhaps different in a way to the trend of many detailers online. Other than a few photos on his website or his own businesses social media, I haven’t seen pages and pages of threads/posts by him on the detailing forums etc - the only threads I have seen have been recommendations from other customers and now I know why!
What I liked about Ed and his service:
He sent daily updates, at around the same time each evening with photos showing progress of the work and what was being done. It’s nice to know your vehicle is safe and being looked after, but also nice to have an indication as to progress when it’s away from home, and everyone likes photos!
The level of detail and care - absolutely incredible. I think I have seen mentioned by somebody before, but he clearly really enjoys working on cars, and looks after them with the same level of OCD that only a real enthusiast would. In other words, he seems to work on them as if they were his own pride and joy, and not just another job. I only booked in for an exterior enhancement detail and a ceramic coating, but for a modest extra charge he offered to do the wheels inside and out, and fully clean under the arches and coat the calipers etc. As it turns out, he went the extra mile, spent a whole day on the wheels/arches/calipers and suspension components, also cleaning and protecting the plastics and rubbers under the bonnet and exhaust tips etc, did a two stage polish on the paint, treated all the rubber seals, side steps and more. Silly things like he polished and coated the number plates and surrounds, spent extra time machine polishing the insides of the wheels to improve the surface before coating, removed the exhaust tips and coated those off the car too. This was no rushed job, he wanted to get it right.
For what was pretty much a relatively ‘entry level’ service compared to some, he spent five days on the car, and I felt he had underpriced the job. I offered to pay more but he insisted I didn’t have to, but I did anyway once I’d left. I know how long this sort of work takes, and felt that he had really earned it, and had exceeded my expectations for the price agreed.
The paint is very glossy and swirl free throughout, and has improved markedly in appearance - the metallic flakes are more obvious, it looks richer and there’s a stronger hint of blue in the colour now. The coating feels as slick as any wax I’ve used, has great depth of shine and has not attracted as much dust as previously applied waxes have. The wheels and calipers also look great, and I cannot fault any of his work - glass is spotless, plastics and rubber looks fresh, rich in colour and as new. I can’t really think of anything I would have had done differently etc. Upon handover he was happy to spend as much time as I wanted discussing maintenance and care, products, etc. Needless to say, he has a great selection of equipment, several different types of polishers, offers different coatings and products upon request etc.
I have a few pics Ed had kindly sent me of the work in progress and a few of afterwards. The other pics are my own and were taken after a couple of hours of driving on a day trip out, so excuse the dust and dead flies etc!
Ed has applied Kamikaze Collection ‘Zipang Coat’ to the bodywork and trim, Kamikaze ‘Intenso’ to the glass, Kamikaze ‘Stance Rim Coat’ to the wheels and brake calipers, and has used ACF-50 (an anti-corrosion product) on various suspension parts too. I’ve not got a lot to compare these coatings too, but initial appearance seems very good, and from a little research the Zipang coat seems to get good reviews, supposedly semi self-healing and a lifespan of 2-3 years.
Anyway, a few pictures:
This is his website:
http://www.divinedetail.co.uk
I bought my GL last summer, and the condition of the car was very good - low mileage, one owner, garaged when not in use etc. I’ve been washing it carefully and kept on top of the interior but during the lockdown I started to consider the next step for enhancing the finish of the exterior and protection of the paintwork for the future.
I have always enjoyed looking after my cars, and have done plenty of detailing in my time. A few weeks back I gave it a thorough wash and started to decontaminate the paintwork. I have used various waxes over the years, and whilst they have worked well for my garaged/weekend cars on a daily driver/family car the size of the GL I wanted something that would be more durable, protect the paintwork and make the car easier to keep clean so started looking into some of the ceramic coatings on offer - especially considering how long the preparation work would take on a vehicle of this size. After giving it some thought, I decided I just don’t have the time/space currently for this so started to look into options to get the paintwork A1 and a coating applied professionally.
I have read recommendations myself for Ed on the forum here and have been recommended him in person, so despite having always enjoyed detailing my own cars, a few weeks ago I decided to give him a call and discuss my car and requirements.
Straight away, from speaking on the phone, I liked the guy. He knows his stuff, was very realistic with tailoring a package to my needs, agreed on a very fair price for the job and gave me an indication as to when he could book me in for.
After a couple of emails a date for the work was set, and a few weeks later I took the car over to Ed. A very down to earth guy, quiet and well mannered, perhaps different in a way to the trend of many detailers online. Other than a few photos on his website or his own businesses social media, I haven’t seen pages and pages of threads/posts by him on the detailing forums etc - the only threads I have seen have been recommendations from other customers and now I know why!
What I liked about Ed and his service:
He sent daily updates, at around the same time each evening with photos showing progress of the work and what was being done. It’s nice to know your vehicle is safe and being looked after, but also nice to have an indication as to progress when it’s away from home, and everyone likes photos!
The level of detail and care - absolutely incredible. I think I have seen mentioned by somebody before, but he clearly really enjoys working on cars, and looks after them with the same level of OCD that only a real enthusiast would. In other words, he seems to work on them as if they were his own pride and joy, and not just another job. I only booked in for an exterior enhancement detail and a ceramic coating, but for a modest extra charge he offered to do the wheels inside and out, and fully clean under the arches and coat the calipers etc. As it turns out, he went the extra mile, spent a whole day on the wheels/arches/calipers and suspension components, also cleaning and protecting the plastics and rubbers under the bonnet and exhaust tips etc, did a two stage polish on the paint, treated all the rubber seals, side steps and more. Silly things like he polished and coated the number plates and surrounds, spent extra time machine polishing the insides of the wheels to improve the surface before coating, removed the exhaust tips and coated those off the car too. This was no rushed job, he wanted to get it right.
For what was pretty much a relatively ‘entry level’ service compared to some, he spent five days on the car, and I felt he had underpriced the job. I offered to pay more but he insisted I didn’t have to, but I did anyway once I’d left. I know how long this sort of work takes, and felt that he had really earned it, and had exceeded my expectations for the price agreed.
The paint is very glossy and swirl free throughout, and has improved markedly in appearance - the metallic flakes are more obvious, it looks richer and there’s a stronger hint of blue in the colour now. The coating feels as slick as any wax I’ve used, has great depth of shine and has not attracted as much dust as previously applied waxes have. The wheels and calipers also look great, and I cannot fault any of his work - glass is spotless, plastics and rubber looks fresh, rich in colour and as new. I can’t really think of anything I would have had done differently etc. Upon handover he was happy to spend as much time as I wanted discussing maintenance and care, products, etc. Needless to say, he has a great selection of equipment, several different types of polishers, offers different coatings and products upon request etc.
I have a few pics Ed had kindly sent me of the work in progress and a few of afterwards. The other pics are my own and were taken after a couple of hours of driving on a day trip out, so excuse the dust and dead flies etc!
Ed has applied Kamikaze Collection ‘Zipang Coat’ to the bodywork and trim, Kamikaze ‘Intenso’ to the glass, Kamikaze ‘Stance Rim Coat’ to the wheels and brake calipers, and has used ACF-50 (an anti-corrosion product) on various suspension parts too. I’ve not got a lot to compare these coatings too, but initial appearance seems very good, and from a little research the Zipang coat seems to get good reviews, supposedly semi self-healing and a lifespan of 2-3 years.
Anyway, a few pictures:
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